By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — Pascagoula High School has a new Athletics Director.

Former Gulfport High head football coach John Archie recently stepped in to that post, replacing Steven Engle who recently vacated it.

Archie has spent the past two years as the ninth grade Principal at Gulfport, after he resigned from his position at the helm of the Admirals at the end of the 2022 season.

That last campaign marked one of his most successful seasons guiding the Gulfport High football team, as the Admirals posted a stellar 9-2 regular season mark on the gridiron that season losing only to eventual Class 5A state champion Picayune and Region 4-6A champ Ocean Springs in the process both of which finished regular season play undefeated.

Archie was the first-ever African-American head football coach at GHS. He served five seasons at the helm of the Admirals, posting a 37-22 overall record and guiding Gulfport to a pair of Region 4-6A championships and four state playoff appearances. The Admirals went just 1-4 in those postseason outings, however.

But, Gulfport has recorded only one state playoff win over the past 15 years, and that came under Archie’s guidance in 2021 at home 20-19 over George County.

QB1 Moves

Speaking of football and Pascagoula, a pair of former Panther quarterbacks have found new homes.

Although one will be displaying his wares on the senior college level on the baseball diamond instead.

Keilon Parnell recently announced his commitment to Alabama A&M. Parnell spent the past two seasons playing baseball at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and also played for the Bulldogs football team last year as well.

He originally signed a baseball scholarship with Mississippi State after his stellar two sport career on both the gridiron and diamond ended at PHS, before bouncing back to Perk.

This season, Parnell was named the Randy Rouse Award for the MGCCC baseball squad. It’s handed out annually in honor of a former Gulf Coast player who died of leukemia in 1992. The award is voted on by the team and is given to the sophomore who best exemplifies sportsmanship, unselfishness, and loyalty.

QB 1 Moves (part 2)

Parnell’s successor behind center for the Panthers was Silas Corder, and Corder just recently found a home as well.

After a short visit to The University of Southern Mississippi, Corder recently announced he is headed to Southwest Community College to continue his career on the gridiron.

After a record-setting career at PHS, Corder was named Class 6A Second Team All-State last season and was picked to play in the annual Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Game.